BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DETECTIVE CONVICTED OF OBSTRUCTING DEA INVESTIGATIONS, LYING TO FBI

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A former Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office detective has been convicted by a federal jury after prosecutors proved he repeatedly obstructed Drug Enforcement Administration investigations, tipped off individuals targeted in federal narcotics operations, and later lied to the FBI during the investigation.

Following a five-day federal trial and approximately three hours of jury deliberations, Paul Jessen, Jr., 36, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, two counts of obstruction of justice, and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.

The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico recused itself from the case. The trial was conducted in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

According to evidence presented during trial, the investigation centered on Jessen and former Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Detective Kyle Linker, who recruited a drug trafficker to serve as a confidential informant in July 2021.

Federal prosecutors established that in November 2021, a DEA agent informed Linker about an upcoming enforcement operation near the confidential informant’s residence. Rather than protecting the integrity of the investigation, Linker warned the informant about the planned operation. Authorities said the warning caused the confidential informant to relocate one drug transaction and cancel another altogether, interfering with an active federal narcotics investigation.

Evidence introduced during trial included numerous text message exchanges between Linker and Jessen that prosecutors said demonstrated both detectives intentionally worked to undermine DEA operations.

Among the messages presented to the jury, Linker wrote:

“I should tell [confidential informant] to tip off [drug trafficker] hahahaha.”

Jessen responded:

“Do it!”

In another exchange regarding a planned DEA operation, Jessen texted:

“It would be a shame if there is nothing there.”

Linker replied:

“Gonna be a real shame.”

According to prosecutors, additional text messages showed Jessen warning Linker about another upcoming DEA operation by stating:

“It’s happing this upcoming week.”

Within minutes, Linker warned the confidential informant that investigators believed a drug trafficker would soon be targeted.

As investigators examined telephone records connected to the confidential informant, DEA agents became suspicious that confidential operational information had been leaked. Authorities then organized another enforcement operation without notifying Linker.

During a search of the confidential informant’s residence in December 2021, DEA agents recovered more than 470 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, and a firearm. During an interview following the search, the confidential informant admitted previously receiving advance warnings from Linker regarding DEA operations.

Investigators subsequently devised an operation designed to determine whether additional information would again be leaked.

According to trial testimony, a DEA agent informed Linker that agents intended to conduct a controlled drug purchase involving the confidential informant and specifically instructed him not to contact the informant.

Prosecutors proved Linker immediately ignored those instructions by sending the confidential informant a message directing him to call immediately. At that time, the informant remained with federal investigators.

During the recorded telephone conversation that followed, Linker warned the confidential informant that he was “on DEA’s radar” and instructed him to have another individual conduct drug transactions with undercover agents instead.

The jury also reviewed additional text messages exchanged between Linker and Jessen following the conversation.

Jessen advised:

“Tell [confidential informant] not to sell to anyone. And go to a hotel or stay with someone else for a bit.”

Linker responded by suggesting that Jessen contact the confidential informant instead, creating what he described as “plausible deniability” if investigators later discovered the warning.

Jessen replied:

“I’ll [expletive] do it.”

Prosecutors presented evidence establishing that Linker ultimately used Jessen’s cellular telephone to further warn the confidential informant about the ongoing DEA investigation.

Jurors also heard evidence concerning a meeting between Jessen and the confidential informant during which Jessen searched the individual to determine whether he was wearing a recording device before warning him against cooperating with the DEA.

Federal prosecutors further proved that during a January 2022 interview with an FBI special agent, Jessen falsely denied having personal knowledge of any improper communications between Linker and the confidential informant. The jury convicted him of making a false statement based on those false representations.

Former Detective Kyle Linker previously pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to eight months of custody, consisting of 30 days of imprisonment followed by seven months of location monitoring.

Paul Jessen now faces up to 65 years in federal prison. His sentencing will be scheduled before Senior U.S. District Judge James O. Browning of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Albuquerque Field Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration Albuquerque District Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Long and Ryan Redd of the Northern District of Texas.

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